Through-hull fitting

ABSTRACT

The specification discloses a fastener assembly including two elements. One element is an elongated body including that a gear rack and a radial stop. The other element is a nut fitted over the elongated body and including a pawl engaging the gear rack. The current embodiment includes two pairs of gear racks and two pairs of pawls. The two pairs of pawls are axially offset from one another. The elongated body and the nut are keyed to prevent relative rotation therebetween. The elongated body defines a conduit through the fastener assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fasteners and more specifically toratcheting fasteners.

It is common practice to use an externally threaded shaft, bolt, or tubeand a corresponding internally threaded nut for securing joints,individual pieces, and through-wall sockets. Generally, either the shaftor the nut is rotated until the threads of the mating components aresecured. This method is susceptible to several problems.

Firstly, mating threaded fasteners such as bolts and nuts are prone toloosening. Through vibration, thermal cycling, or other environmentalconditions, the mating threaded elements move relative to each other,loosening the joint. When the joint is no longer clamped or secured, thethreaded fastener loses its functionality.

Secondly, helical threads require the fastener system (i.e. shaft or nutor both) to be rotated relative to the mating pieces. Based on theamount of thread, this practice can be time consuming, leading toinefficiencies in the installation process.

Thirdly, helical thread fasteners require friction with a mating surfaceto prevent loosening and loss of functionality. As the fastener systemis rotated, the nut moves axially along the external threads. Generally,the nut and head of the shaft apply the axial clamp force by contactingthe surface of the mating objects. Significant torque is often needed toload the threads and retain the necessary clamping force. Friction isnot only created in the threads but also on the mating surfaces. Thefriction created by this action can damage the mating surfaces or eventhe fastener itself. If any mating surface or the fastener is coated,this damage can remove the coating. Since coatings are often used toprotect surfaces from environmental corrosion, damage of the coating canshorten product life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present invention inwhich the fastener components ratchet with respect to one another,eliminating the need for relative rotation.

In the current embodiment, the fastener includes a first elementcomprising a shaft, bolt, or tube (hereinafter referred to simply as ashaft) and a second element comprising a nut. The shaft includes a gearrack and a flange. The nut fits over the shaft and includes at least onepawl to engage the gear rack in a ratcheting fashion. The nut can bepushed axially along the shaft without rotation. The ratchetinginteraction of the nut on the shaft locks the nut in position.

In a further aspect of the current embodiment, the shaft and the nut arekeyed so that the nut can fit onto the shaft in a limited number ofangular orientations. The keying prevents the nut from rotating on theshaft once installed.

In yet a further aspect of the current embodiment, the first element isa tube defining a conduit through the fastener. And more specifically,the tube may be a through-hull fitting with a gear rack, a conduitthrough the gear rack.

The locking ratchet system does not allow the nut to move relative tothe shaft or tube during vibration, thermal cycling, or otherenvironmental conditions. Because the motion to install is axial and notrotational, the time to tighten the joint is reduced. Also, the axialinstallation reduces the opportunity to damage the mating surfacesthrough rotation.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention willbe more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the descriptionof the current embodiment and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fastener.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the fastener.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the fastener taken along line 3-3 in FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the nut of the fastener.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the nut.

FIG. 6 is perspective view of a fastener according to a firstalternative embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the fastener of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener of FIG. 6 taken alongthe line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a manifold assembly according to secondalternative embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a gear shaft of one embodiment of thefastener.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the gear shaft taken along line12-12 in FIG. 11.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT

Before the embodiments of the invention are described in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the details ofoperation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of thecomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in thedrawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodimentsand can be practiced or carried out in alternative ways not expresslydisclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology used herein are for the purpose of description and shouldnot be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” andvariations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter andequivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.Further, enumeration may be used in the description of variousembodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumerationshould not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific orderor number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construedas excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps orcomponents that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps orcomponents.

A fastener 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention isshown in FIGS. 1-3. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener 10includes a gear rack 12 with a series of projections 14 alignedlongitudinally on the gear rack 12. At one end of the gear rack 12 is aflange 16. A nut 20 may be fitted onto the gear rack 12 from an endopposite that of the flange 16. The nut 20 has an inner surface 22 withone or more pawls 24, 26 that may be integrally formed on the innersurface 22 of the nut 20.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the inner surface 22 of the nut 20 may have a lipor protrusion 21 that may correspond during use of the fastener 10 witha depression 13 running the functional length of the gear rack 12 of thefastener 10. The alignment of the lip 21 with the depression 13 isuseful in guiding the nut 20 into position around the gear rack 12 toquickly and/or efficiently assist the engagement of the pawls 24, 26with the projections 14 of the gear rack 12. The pawls 24, 26 have tips25, 27 that are pliable or flexible enough to yield to the approach ofthe projections 14 as the nut 20 is pushed along the gear rack 12 of thefastener 10 toward the flange 16. The pawls 24, 26 secure the nut 20into position on the gear rack 12 by catching on the projections 14. Theprojections 14 may be ramps that allow the flexible/pliable tips 25, 27of the pawls 24, 26 to move along the leading edge 40 of theramp/projection 14 and meet or snap into the closing edge 42 of theramp/projection 14. The meeting of the pawls 24, 26 with the closingedge 42 of the projection 14 may provide tactile confirmation to theuser of the package that the nut 20 is securely in place on the gearrack 12.

The steepness of the ramps/projections 14 and the length of the pawltips 25, 27 may vary, for example, to control the amount of forcedesired to secure the pawls 24, 26 on the gear rack 16. By virtue of aninterference fit, the pawls 24, 26 interact with the protrusions 14 tosecure the nut 20 on the gear rack 12. The number of projections 14along the length of the gear rack 12 may vary and the projections 14 maybe positioned in essentially any desired location on the gear rack 12.For example, the projections may be located in the depression 13 andcorrespond to pawls that are integral to the lip/protrusion 21 on theinner surface 22 of the nut 20. Further, the leading edge 40 of aramp/projection 14 can vary in steepness to provide more or lessresistance when fitting the pawls 24, 26 into the gear rack 12. Therelationship of the pawls 24, 26 and protrusions 14 may be configured toprevent the nut 20 from being removed from the gear rack 12 when a forceis applied to the nut 20 in an attempt to move it away from the flange16. Alternatively, by pushing the nut 20 along the gear rack 12 awayfrom the flange 16, the nut may be removed from the fastener 10 providedthe pliable tips 25, 27 of the pawls 24, 26 are configured with theprojections 14 to allow retreat of the nut 20 from the flange 16 end ofthe fastener 10 along the gear rack 12 and further allowing removal ofthe nut 20. The fastener 10 may also include one or more ends 47, 48which are suitable to provide coupling of the fastener 10 to adjacentcomponents which may vary with the specific application of the fastener10.

In use, the nut 20 is fitted around the end of the gear rack 12 oppositethe flange 16. The nut 20 is moved along the gear rack 12 in aratcheting fashion toward the flange 16, which may be any radiallyextending stop. As an alternative to a flange, The nut 20 and flange 16are spaced apart by at least one item in a space 30 is defined by thedistance between the nut 20 and flange 16. The fastener 10 may securetogether two or more items 32, 34 in the space 30 between the nut 20 andflange 16. The gear rack 12 of the fastener 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3fits through openings 36, 38 in the items 32, 34 secured together by thefastener 10 when the nut 20 on one side of the items 32, 34 is movedtoward the flange 16 on the opposite side of the items 32, 34 and thepawls 24, 26 engage the projections 14 on the gear rack 12. Theratcheting of the nut 20 on the gear rack 12 provides advantages overfasteners that consist of nuts that screw onto a threaded shaft becausethe nut 20 may be quickly secured in place by pushing the nut 20 intoplace on the gear rack 12 and does not require time to screw a nut intoplace. Further, by virtue of the clamp forces created by the pawls 24,26 and the projections 14, the nut 20 will not loosen during vibrationsor thermal cycling, etc. as will a nut that is screwed onto a threadedshaft.

The nut 20 as shown in FIGS. 4-5, includes two pairs of parallel pawls24, 26 located opposite one another on the inner surface 22 of the nut20. All of the pawls 24, 26 may be positioned on the inner surface 22 ofnut 20 in the same location relative to the top 50 of the nut 20 andbottom 52 of the nut 20. Alternatively, the pawls 24 may be off-setwithin the nut 20 from the pawls 26 relative to the top 50 and bottom 52of the nut 20. The off-setting of the pawls 24, 26 allows forcorresponding off-setting of the pawls 24, 26 along the gear rack 12 inthe longitudinal direction and can provide a more precise fit of thefastener 10 around the items 32, 34 to be fastened together. Forexample, depending upon the spacing between the projections 14 on thegear rack 12 and the size of the pawls 24, 26, the optimized fit of thefastener 10 around the items 32, 34 may fall between projections 14 ifthe pawls were not off-set. Independent of whether the pawls 24, 26 areoff-set, the nut 20 may have an axis A and may be separate andunattached from gear rack 12 and may be removed and rotated about theaxis A to fit on the gear rack 12 in more than one orientation. Forexample, any of the pawls 24, 26 may engage any of the series ofprojections 14 on the corresponding surfaces of the gear rack 12.

Additionally or alternatively to having off-set pawls as discussed withrespect to FIGS. 4 and 5, the protrusions on a gear rack may be off-set.The gear rack 312 of FIGS. 11 and 12 has two sets of opposing sets ofprotrusions 314, 315 that are off-set from one another with respect to alongitudinal orientation from the top 300 and bottom 332 of the gearrack as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

The fastener 10 of FIGS. 1-3 includes a conduit 28 through which fluidmay pass or be pumped. In this embodiment, the gear rack 12 is locatedon the outside of a tube defining the conduit 28 of the fastener 10. Thefastener 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3 may be used as a through-hull fitting ona water craft, for example. Rather than securing items 32, 34 together,the fastener 10 may secure itself to a boat by inserting the gear rack12 through an opening in the boat hull (not shown) so that the flange 16contacts the hull on one side and the nut 20 is fitted on the gear rack12 on an opposite side of the hull from the flange 16. As compared tohelical threads and corresponding nuts, the ratcheting action of the nut20 on the gear rack 12 has the advantage of allowing an optimized fit ofthe fastener 10 with minimal contact of the nut with the hull. Thisminimizing of contact between the hull (or alternatively between theitems 32, 34 to be secured) and the nut 20, prevents scraping of the nut20 on the paint of the items 32, 34 or gel coat of a boat that resultswith the turning of a nut on a helical thread.

The fastener 10 need not include a conduit as shown in the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 1-3. Referring now to FIGS. 6-8, the fastener 110may include a solid gear rack 112 that is shaped to fit any opening ormating surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener 110 includesa gear rack 112 with two substantially flattened surfaces 113 havingprojections 114 that transverse the gear rack 112 in a longitudinaldirection. The gear rack 112 also has substantially rounded edges 115 oneither side of the substantially flattened surfaces. While theembodiment of FIG. 6 has a particular shape, it should be understoodthat the fastener 110 can be configured in a variety of shapes to allowthe functionality described herein. The nut 120 has an inner surface 122with pawls 124 that engage the projections 114 on the gear rack 112 inthe same manner as described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-3. The nut120 may be fitted on the gear rack 112 from a free end 125, or bottomend as viewed in FIG. 6, of the gear rack 112 which is on an oppositeend of the fastener 110 from the flange 116. As the nut 120 is movedalong the gear rack 112 in a ratcheting fashion toward the flange 116.The nut 120 and flange 116 are spaced apart by the thickness of one ormore items 132, 134 in a space 130 that is defined by the distancebetween the nut 120 and flange 116. The fastener 110 may secure togethertwo or more items in the space 130 between the nut 120 and flange 116,or may serve to secure the fastener 110 to another surface.

Alternative Embodiment

Referring now to FIGS. 9-10, a flexible manifold assembly 200 mayincorporate the fastener 201 to facilitate fluid flow through theflexible manifold assembly 200. In this configuration, a corrugated tube202 has an open end 203 and is closed on the opposite end by a cap 204and clamp 206. A manifold fitting 250 may include a jacket attachment252 with an inner surface that may include ribs 252 which can interlacethe corrugated ridges of the tubing 202. For applications withnon-corrugated tubing, the inner surface may be un-ribbed and securedabout the tubing by clamping or compression fit. An opening 254 in anozzle 260 of the fitting 250 provides fluid communication between thetubing 202 and the fastener 201 through the nozzle 260. The nozzle 260may be coupled to the fastener 201 by any known means. In theillustrated embodiment, an outer wall 262 of the nozzle 260 is mated toa wall 229 of the conduit 228 of the fastener 201. The nozzle 260 mayfurther include an annular passage 264.

The fastener 201, along with the manifold fitting 250 and nozzle 260 mayfacilitate a flow of air or water from a source (not shown) through theconduit 228 of the fastener, into the nozzle 260 and into the tubing 202through the manifold fitting 250. This configuration has severalapplications including, but not limited to providing warm air to agarment for the purposes of warming a patient. In the case of a warm airapplication, an end or fitting of a hose or pipe from a warm air sourcemay be fitting over or around the flange 216 of the fastener 201. Thehose or pipe may be quickly and efficiently coupled to the fastener 200by axially moving the nut 220 along the gear rack 212 toward the flange216 so that the pawls 224 engage the projections 214 on the gear rack212 and secure the end or fitting of the hose or pipe between the flange216 and the nut 220. Once the warm air source is connected to thefastener 201, the flow of warm air may move into the manifold fitting250 through the tubing 202, out the open end 203 and into a garment (notshown) or other area or enclosure, etc. where warm air is desired.

Similarly, the configuration described above may be useful for supplyingcool air for applications requiring cooling of an area or enclosure.Alternatively, this configuration may be coupled to a water source (notshown) by the fastener 201. In that case, the open end 203 willfacilitate the flow of water in applications, such as for gardening orwashing, etc., that require a flow of water, or may be used to providehot or cool water when needed for temperature sensitive applications.

Concluding Comments

Directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,”“upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “inwardly,” “outer” and “outwardly,” are usedto assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of theembodiments shown in the drawings. The use of directional terms shouldnot be interpreted to limit the invention to any specificorientation(s).

The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention.Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from thespirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles ofpatent law including the doctrine of equivalents.

This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not beinterpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of theinvention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elementsillustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. Forexample, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of thedescribed invention may be replaced by alternative elements that providesubstantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequateoperation. This includes, for example, presently known alternativeelements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled inthe art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future,such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development,recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments includea plurality of features that are described in concert and that mightcooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention isnot limited to only those embodiments that include all of these featuresor that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extentotherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference toelements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,”“the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to thesingular.

1. A through-hull fitting comprising: an elongated body including aplurality of gear racks and a radially extending stop, the stopextending radially outwardly beyond the gear racks, the body defining awater conduit therethrough; and a nut fitted over said elongated bodyand having a plurality of pawls and a radially extending stop, the stopextending radially outwardly beyond the pawls, each pawl engaging one ofsaid gear racks, said elongated body and said nut being keyed to oneanother to prevent relative rotation therebetween, said elongated bodyand said nut being physically separate elements. 2.-4. (canceled)
 5. Thethrough-hull fitting of claim 1 wherein: said elongated body includes atleast four of said gear racks; and said nut includes at least fourpawls.
 6. The through-hull fitting fitting of claim 5 wherein: said gearracks include a first set of opposing gear racks and a second set ofopposing gear racks; and said pawls include a first set of opposingpawls and a second set of opposing pawls. 7.-12. (canceled)
 13. Thethrough-hull fitting of claim 1 wherein the body further includes firstand second ends suitable to provide coupling of the body to adjacentcomponents.